


Because I could not stop for death

by twopinkcarnations



Category: The Good Place (TV)
Genre: Existential Angst, Existential Crisis, Existentialism, Fear of Death, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Poetry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-10-19
Packaged: 2019-01-19 13:03:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 547
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12410808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twopinkcarnations/pseuds/twopinkcarnations
Summary: Chidi uses a poem to help Michael through his crisis.





	Because I could not stop for death

**Author's Note:**

> A link to the full poem referenced: https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/because-i-could-not-stop-death-479

“Can’t stop moving, can’t stop moving. Or I’ll start thinking about things I don’t wanna think about. Like death. Because I could not stop for death.”

“He kindly stopped for me?” Chidi asks.

Michael stops dancing for a moment, and he drops the arm he had around Janet to his side. Eleanor watches in a mix of mild worry and fascination.

“I think I’ve heard that before…,” Michael says.

Chidi nods in excitement.

“It’s an Emily Dickinson poem.”

“Emily Dickinson? Like the shut-in from high school lit class?”

Chidi ignores her. Though he wants to extol the virtues of Dickinson’s work, he thinks he might be on to something with Michael here.

“Do you know how the rest of it goes?” Chidi asks.

“I don’t remember.” Michael sits down on the couch. “It’s been so long since I studied humans this closely.”

Chidi stands before him, just as he did when they were in class today. Eleanor moves in closer too, curious to hear the poem that had Michael so enthralled right now. (She only vaguely wondered where Janet had gone off to…)

“Because I could not stop for Death,” Chidi recites, “he kindly stopped for me. The Carriage held but just ourselves, and Immortality.”

Before Chidi can start in on the second stanza, Michael interrupts him. It is clear he is channeling the words from somewhere he didn’t remember existed.

“Since then, ‘tis Centuries. And yet, feels shorter than the Day. I first surmised the Horses’ Heads were toward Eternity.”

Chidi sits down beside his pupil.

“That’s right. That’s the last stanza.”

Michael nods, and Chidi presses him.

“I know human culture doesn’t mean much to you, but that poem obviously does. Do you know why?”

“Even immortality has an end. Everything has an end. Even me.”

Eleanor moves in, and she gingerly sits down on Michael’s other side.

“It’s okay that things end, Michael. I don’t know anything about poetry, but I do know that life death are like _this_.” She holds up her crossed fingers. “What matters most is what you do with that time.”

“You’re right,” Michael says. “This is just…all very new to me. I don’t know the kinds of things humans know. I have to learn to put this idea of permanence aside.”

Chidi’s face lights up.

“That’s the second verse: We slowly drove. He knew no haste. And I had to put away, my labor and my leisure too, for His Civility.”

Eleanor’s face scrunches.

“What does that even mean, professor?”

“It means you can’t rush death or stop it or avoid it. You can only accept, for better or for worse, that it’s there and then handle it the best you can.”

Michael makes a strangled noise in his throat.

“You’re learning what it’s like to be human. All humans are aware of death. So we’re all a little bit sad all the time. But that’s why we’re here, man. Me and Chidi and Tahani and Jason on a good day? We’re all here to help you and to help each other.”

Chidi smiles at her behind Michael’s back and mouths a thank you.

“Are you okay?” Chidi asks.

Michael appears to think it over before taking a deep breath.

They wait, nervous, for his answer.

He nods.


End file.
